PADRES: Club signs top draft picks, then stuns Cubs behind current youngsters

Hours after the club made a big splash by signing three of its
four top draft picks, including first-rounder Donavan Tate to a
franchise-record $6.25 million deal, its current crop of prospects
capped a stunning 4-1 victory over the Chicago Cubs with a
ninth-inning surge.

Down to their last strike, the Padres rallied from a 1-0 deficit
against Cubs closer Kevin Gregg. Chase Headley tied the game with a
two-out RBI double to left-center field before young slugger Kyle
Blanks slammed a walkoff, three-run home run off Gregg.

"To do it like that is nice," Blanks said.

There were plenty of smiles at the Petco Park after the Padres
signed Tate, second-round pick Everett Williams and fourth-round
pick Keyvius Sampson in the hours leading up to Monday's 9 p.m.
deadline. Tate, the Cartersville, Ga., product who attended the
game, received a warm ovation from the crowd of 23,420 after he was
introduced.

His signing bonus was $3.1 million more than the Padres'
previous record of $3.15 million, which they gave to top overall
pick Matt Bush five years ago. In all, they spent more than $9
million on 2009 draft picks, including $775,000 on Williams and
$600,000 on Sampson ---- players whom other organizations passed on
because it was assumed they'd be hard to sign.

The signings signaled a massive departure from the days of the
2004 draft, when the Padres eschewed expensive talent ----
including Justin Verlander and Jered Weaver---- and drafted the
more affordable Bush.

Had the Padres not signed their selections by 9 p.m., they would
have forfeited the rights to those players.

"The one thing ownership stood tall on was allowing me and
(scouting director Bill Gayton) to stay the course," vice president
of scouting and player development Grady Fuson said. "We came in
over budget. ... I credit (CEO Jeff Moorad). At one time, things
could have tightened up for us, but they never did."

Fuson and Gayton said they knew that Tate, who's represented by
super agent Scott Boras, would seek a large signing bonus. Tate's
father, former NFL running back Lars Tate, told the Atlanta
Journal-Constitution last week that Boras initially asked for $10
million. And even though the July 31 trade of Jake Peavy and his
$56 million contract to the Chicago White Sox freed up more
capital, the Padres already intended to have a large budget for the
2009 draft because they were picking third overall.

The biggest question surrounding the three players ---- all
selected out of high school ---- was whether or not they would opt
to attend college. Tate, who sat behind home plate Monday wearing a
retro, brown-and-yellow Padres cap and is expected to take batting
practice with the club Tuesday, had a multisport scholarship to
North Carolina. Williams and Sampson had baseball scholarships to
Texas and Florida State, respectively.

But instead of wavering, the Padres pushed forward and selected
three players with the type of raw athleticism the farm system is
said to be lacking.